


Chapter 1 - A Lesson of Humility

by WinterKumquat



Series: MLP: Misgivings [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Crystal Empire, Crystal Heart - Freeform, Friendship, Gen, Princess - Freeform, Starswirl the Bearded - Freeform, Wings, alicorn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 13:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12959787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterKumquat/pseuds/WinterKumquat
Summary: The Crystal Symposium is drawing the best and brightest minds of all Equestria.  Of course, it would also draw the most sinister that no one would ever expect...





	Chapter 1 - A Lesson of Humility

"Awwww yeah!  Another day, another threat to Equestria vanquished!" Rainbow Dash cheered as she swept past her friends, gliding through the air with practiced ease.  Today it was a small threat.  A creature from the Everfree Forest that had gotten too close to Ponyville.  Not a real threat to Equestria, but it had taken all 6 ponies to send it back into it's shadowy home.  
  
Applejack chuckled at her friend's spry attitude.  "You act like this is an everyday activity Rainbow Dash."    
  
"I for one, am glad it is not."  Twilight Sparkle concluded.  "I have a lot to study before I go to the symposium of crystal magic in the Crystal Empire tomorrow."  
  
"Well, I wish we could go with you sugar cube, but I just have too much to do on the farm."  Applejack lamented.  
  
"And I have Wonderbolt practice."  Rainbow Dash said as she zipped by, for about the 10th time.    
  
Pinkie Pie was oddly silent as she bounced around, seemingly lost in a world of her own thoughts.  Of course, it would be a world covered in icing for a party that she was planning for Mr. and Mrs. Cake's twin foals.  The silence was also exuded by Fluttershy, who was just glad to be out of the forest.  "I'll see you later girls."  She said softly, before breaking off of the group to return to her home and sanctuary.  
  
  
By the time Twilight returned to her Castle, Spike had nearly everything packed.  However, that wouldn't make things easy on him.  Twilight had proven time and time again that she needed to go over her lists 3 times to make sure everything was perfect, which meant unpacking the bag and repacking it three more times.  Spike sighed when she was finally content with the preparation.  "Twilight, it's going to be fine."  He reassured her.  "Plus Starlight Glimmer will be with you.  You'll get to see your family, and if you miss any time at the symposium, I'm sure Starlight will take notes for you."  
  
"You don't get it Spike.  This symposium is the first one since Starswirl disappeared!  I can't afford to miss one minute of it!"  She used her magic to put her pack on her back and turned to head out the door when she crashed into Starlight, entering the library.  
  
"Sorry about that."  She quickly apologized.  "I was coming to see if you were ready to go."   
  
"We're ready!" Spike exclaimed before Twilight could second guess whether or not anything was left behind.  Together, the two ponies, and the dragon left the Crystal Library.    
  
They walked at a calm pace.  Starlight occasionally glanced over at her mentor.  "I wanted to thank you for taking me along to the symposium.  I heard that the tickets that were available were sold out in minutes."  
  
"It was my pleasure Starlight."  Twilight chirped.  "I wonder who will be in attendance.  Only 100 spots were available.  I believe your friend will also be in attendance."   
  
"Sunburst?! Oh it will be good to see him again!  I got a letter from him last week telling me about a crystalling ceremony he took part in.  He seems to really enjoy his duties in the Crystal Empire.  But I bet that he will be glad to be able to study magic that he hasn't been able to study before.  Do you know what is going to be in the symposium?"  
  
"All I know is that it is going to elaborate on the crystal magic in the Crystal Empire. Starswirl was the last unicorn to study and practice it, so when he was lost with the pillars, the information disappeared as well.  None of his information was left in any books."  The excitement was rife in her voice.  "I can't wait!  It's been my dream to attend a Starswirl class!"  
  
Starlight laughed good-naturedly as they stepped up onto the platform for the train.  She waited for Starlight and Spike to board before stepping on behind her.  She blinked as she looked to the mostly empty train and settled on a bench seat across from Twilight.  "Where is everyone?"  
  
Twilight was pulling out their tickets to show the conductor.  "I'm sure that Security is heightened in the Crystal Empire for this, so no one is allowed to travel in or out until after the symposium."  
  
"Don't you think that's a little extreme?"  She piqued a brow, wondering about the extreme response to this being a limited event. "I mean, come on, yeah it's limited, but shutting down the whole city?"  All too soon, she would discover just WHY they had shut down transportation in and out of the city as the train started moving.  
  
  
There were ponies clamoring for entry outside of the Crystal Empire, hoofs beating on a shield that was reminiscent of when the changelings were attacking.  Thank goodness this was a one day event.  Starlight was shocked into silence as she listened to the angry shouts of ponies who had been unable to get tickets to an event that they declared the right of all in Equestria.  
  
"This is chaos..."  She breathed out.  Of course, this was also something she had tried to avoid in her little village.  She hung her head when she realized the privilege that her power and position had gifted her, while other ponies who could be just as equally deserving were locked out.    
  
The conditions wouldn't improve once they were inside either.  One could almost feel the resentment coming off of the locals in waves.  "No pony seems very happy."  She continued.  
  
"I'm sure it will pass.  No one really likes it when their town is under lockdown for security."  Then she glanced at Starlight, realizing what it was she just said.  "Anyway, the symposium brings a lot of business to the town, so in the end it should be alright."  
  
"Should" had been the operative word in Twilight's statement.  
  
  
Staying in the castle had it's advantages.  Private security.  Meals with Royalty.  No worries about being harangued about the symposium.  Once they got settled and had eaten, it was too late in the evening to get out and visit with their friends and family.  Starlight stared out their suite window to the ponies milling about below.  All of this just seemed wrong.  But, Twilight had said many times that it was just one day.  They were just interrupting the city for one day.  It was worth it, right?  
  
The following morning came all too quickly.  Twilight was up at the crack of dawn, squealing her excitement over the countdown to the symposium.  There was hardly a word about breakfast before they would go sit in a classroom for 8-12 hours.  At least a break was scheduled for lunch.  Starlight glanced at the event schedule. It looked like they wouldn't get to the meat and potatoes of the lectures until closer to noon.    
  
As they entered the large hall, it was set up with desks and chairs for the guests.  10 ponies her row, with a walking row down the middle, so 5 on each side, and 10 rows deep.  They were some of the first to arrive, so Twilight skipped merrily down to the front row and took a seat next to a quiet dark bluish purple unicorn with a crystalline sparkling mane.  "Hello there!" She said merrily.  The pegasus only glanced over at Twilight, seemingly unimpressed, but returned the greeting.  
  
Starlight settled next to the Princess but opted instead to keep to herself as other ponies started to filter in.  Then she saw the shadow on a wall through an open doorway.  One of the Regal Princesses were here.  At first she had assumed it was Celestia, but then she saw a glint of a shadowy mane.   Princess Luna?  That seemed interesting.  Luna was rarely seen during the day, unless it were a special event.  Then again, she reminded herself, the entire city was on lockdown for this.  
  
Turning, she saw more ponies come inside, while Twilight was too busy getting her pens and notebooks set up just perfectly.  She was waiting for Starburst to come in, and hoped that he would sit beside them, but the seats were soon taken.  In fact, she didn't see him at all.  Finally, she turned to Twilight.  "I thought you said that Sunburst was invited."  
  
"He is.  Didn't he show up?"  She finally pulled her attention from her materials and turned to look at the faces in the room.  She knew a great many of them.  Almost all of them in fact, by name, if not just association.  There were no empty seats.  In fact, the only pony she didn't know was sitting right beside her.  Perhaps she should change that.  "I'm Twilight Sparkle."  She said in a merry tone.  
  
The pegasus seemed unamused by the interruption of her reading prior to the lecture.  "I know who you are.  My name is Rigel Moonbreaker."  She went back to her reading, not another word said.  
  
"Are you here with anyone?"  Twilight asked curiously.    
  
Rigel sighed, closing the book she was reading with a hoof.  "Yes.  I was brought here by my teacher.  She is a bit busy right now."    
  
"Oh?  Who's your teacher?"  Twilight asked, completely oblivious to the fact that another Princess could be teaching.  She had recognized the book that Rigel was reading.  It was one from Celestia's library.  "Are you in Celestia's school for magic?"  It seemed an odd idea, after all pegasi couldn’t use unicorn magic.  So why was she here?  
  
"No, I am not.  Is there something I can do for you  _Princess._ If not, I would like to get back to my book before the lectures---" The lights dimmed, and she grumbled.  "Nevermind."  
  
Silence overtook the hall as Starswirl stepped out in his traditional garb, complete with bell lined hat.  He cleared his throat before he used his magic to pick up a piece of chalk to start drawing a diagram on the board behind him.  He started with a brief history of the Crystal Empire, and the ominous storms that the love of its citizens keeps at bay with the Crystal Heart.  Obviously, he felt that dispensing with formal introductions were unneeded.  
  
It brought him right into the magic of the Crystal Heart.  It was an ancient relic that was irreplaceable. The Crystal Empire had proven thrice that it could not exist without the crystal heart.    
  
Twilight sat transfixed by her idol.  Starlight took notes as Twilight was so star struck that she was forgetting to even take her eyes off of Starswirl.  The hours passed quickly.  When the lights came back up, and Twilight almost had a mini-meltdown over not taking notes, Starlight simply cleared her throat and nodded to the pages of notes that she had taken.  "You're brilliant!"  Twilight exclaimed, to which she heard an indignant snort behind her.  She turned and looked to the pegasus that was packing up its saddle bag.  "Have I done something to you?"  
  
"No Princess.  Not to me.  Nor am I one of your adoring fans.  If you'll excuse me, I have some work to do that doesn't require me to rely on others."  Then she moved from the classroom with the others.  
  
Twilight's ears laid back as she ducked her head a bit.  "Ready to go?"  Starlight asked, drawing Twilight's attention back to the moment.    
  
"Sure."  The pair departed the way they had come.  Though the strange pegasus wouldn't leave Twilight's mind.  Once they got back to the suite, Starlight took her notes back out.  Twilight seemed distracted enough as she reviewed the notes.  "You took some amazing notes Starlight.  I'm impressed.  I love how Starswirl made comparisons of the crystal heart to the law of conservation of mass-energy.  It was also great when he discussed the effects of dark energy on this part of the world.  I mean, I knew that it changed things in this world, but I had no idea of the implications beyond the Crystal Empire."  Twilight chattered on as she perused the notes taken by her student.  
  
Meanwhile, in another suite at the castle, Rigel sat with her books and was editing notes of her own.  "How did you like the class?  I saw that you were speaking with Twilight."  
  
"You mean being talked at by Twilight."  Rigel corrected.  "I was trying to study Starswirl's spells before he started the lecture but she kept interrupting me."   There was a great lack of amusement in her voice.  
  
"Maybe she was just trying to be friendly.  She is the Princess of Friendship, after all."  Princess Luna said as she walked over to Rigel's side.  
  
"I've seen how she treats her friends, Princess.  I don't really want anything to do with that."  She glanced over as she saw Luna cant her head slightly.  "She uses her friends.  She doesn't trust them, or her student.  I left right as she started to flip out because she didn’t take notes.  I think her student calmed her down and handed over her notes.”   
  
“I see.”  Luna mused over what Rigel was telling her.  “Perhaps I should let my sister know about this?”  
  
“No.  She wouldn’t believe you.  After all, her star student is the apple of her eye.  She doesn’t see the pony that the power and responsibility turns them into.”  Her tone was flat.   
  
“And what is to keep what you are learning from affecting you in the same way?”  Luna sat beside her protégé.  
  
“There are no guarantees.  However, I’m not going into this because of a magical sonic rainboom that gave me powers.  I may not have magic, but I want to make a difference.  “  
  
“What about friends?”  Luna questioned.

“I have friends, and I visit them quite often.”  She answered.  “I’m meeting up with Sunburst tomorrow.  I wouldn’t mind meeting up with Starlight Glimmer before she leaves, but without Twilight.  Just two ponies who have spent their lives learning magic.”  
  
“I’ll see what I can do.” 


End file.
